Vehicle body and assembling method for the same

Abstract

A body of a vehicle which is easy to assemble without the necessity of a spacious location and is effective in mass production and an assembling method for the body of a vehicle. The body comprises a plurality of sectors coupled in circumferential directions to each other to make up a plurality of sections each having a substantially tubular hollow configuration, the sections being coupled in a longitudinal direction to make up the body of the vehicle. In manufacture, the sectors are produced first and then coupled in circumferential directions to form the plurality of sections. Finally, the sections are coupled in a longitudinal direction to make up the body of the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An assembling method for a body of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: forming vehicle body sectors, each sector defining one of a plurality of divisions of the body of the vehicle in each of a longitudinal direction and a circumferential direction;   after forming the vehicle body sectors, coupling a plurality of said vehicle body sectors in the circumferential direction to form a vehicle body section having a substantially tubular profile;   forming at least one additional vehicle body section by repeating the vehicle body sector forming step and the coupling step, each vehicle body section having all of the vehicle body sectors coupled so that longitudinal ends of each of the vehicle body sectors are in alignment except that the longitudinal ends of at least one sector is longitudinally displaced and is not in alignment with the other sectors of said each section; and   after coupling the plurality of said vehicle body sectors in the circumferential direction, coupling a plurality of vehicle body sections in the longitudinal direction to form the body of the vehicle without using a chassis to support the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction.   
     
     
       2. The assembling method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of vehicle body sections formed in the sector coupling step is one of a common section and an original section, the plurality of sections coupled in said section coupling step forming a plurality of different types of bodies, said common sections common to each of the plurality of different types of bodies and said original sections original to one of the plurality of different types of bodies, wherein the vehicle body section coupling step comprises coupling two original sections, two common sections or one common section and one original section. 
     
     
       3. An assembling method for a body of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: forming vehicle body sectors, each sector defining one of a plurality of divisions of the body of the vehicle in each of a longitudinal direction and a circumferential direction;   after forming the vehicle body sectors, coupling a plurality of said vehicle body sectors in the circumferential direction to form a vehicle body section having a substantially tubular profile;   forming at least one additional vehicle body section by repeating the vehicle body sector forming step and the coupling step, each vehicle body section having all of the vehicle body sectors coupled so that longitudinal ends of each of the vehicle body sectors are in alignment except that the longitudinal ends of at least one sector is longitudinally displaced and is not in alignment with the other sectors of said each section; and   after coupling the plurality of said vehicle body sectors in the circumferential direction, coupling a plurality of vehicle body sections in the longitudinal direction to form the body of the vehicle.   
     
     
       4. An assembling method for a body of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: forming vehicle body sectors, each sector defining one of a plurality of divisions of the vehicle body, the plurality of divisions formed in each of a longitudinal direction and a circumferential direction of the body of the vehicle;   after forming the vehicle body sectors, coupling a plurality of said vehicle body sectors in the circumferential direction to form a spaced section, each spaced section having a substantially tubular profile;   forming at least one additional spaced section by repeating the vehicle body sector forming step and the coupling step;   after coupling the plurality of said vehicle body sectors in the circumferential direction, coupling a pair of said spaced sections together using at least one intermediate sector without using a chassis to support the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction, the at least one intermediate sector positioned between said pair of said spaced sections; and   coupling additional sectors to said at least one intermediate sector to form at least one intermediate section between said pair of said spaced sections.   
     
     
       5. The assembling method of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of vehicle body sections formed in the sector coupling step is one of a common section and an original section, the plurality of sections coupled in said section coupling step forming a plurality of different types of bodies, said common sections common to each of the plurality of different types of bodies and said original sections original to one of the plurality of different types of bodies, wherein said pair of said spaced sections comprises two original sections, two common sections or one common section and one original section.   
     
     
       6. An assembling method for a body of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: forming vehicle body sectors, each sector defining one of a plurality of divisions of the body of the vehicle in each of a longitudinal direction and a circumferential direction;   after forming the vehicle body sectors, coupling a plurality of said vehicle body sectors in the circumferential direction to form a spaced section, each spaced section having a substantially tubular profile;   forming at least one additional spaced section by repeating the vehicle body sector forming step and the coupling step;   after coupling the plurality of said vehicle body sectors in the circumferential direction, coupling a pair of said spaced sections together using at least one intermediate sector, the at least one intermediate sector positioned between said pair of said spaced sections; and   coupling additional sectors to said at least one intermediate sector to form at least one intermediate section between said pair of said spaced sections, wherein each section of said pair of said spaced sections and said at least one intermediate section has all of the vehicle body sectors coupled so that longitudinal ends of each of the vehicle body sectors are in alignment except that the longitudinal ends of at least one sector is longitudinally displaced and is not in alignment with the other sectors of said each section of said pair of said spaced sections and said at least one intermediate section.   
     
     
       7. A body of a vehicle comprising: a plurality of separate distinctive sections, each separate distinctive section formed from a plurality of sectors to have a substantially tubular profile, the plurality of sectors circumferentially coupled together to have the substantially tubular profile, each separate distinctive section having all of the sectors coupled so that longitudinal ends of each of the sectors are in alignment except that the longitudinal ends of at least one sector is longitudinally displaced and is not in alignment with the other sectors of said each separate distinctive section; and   each one of the plurality of sectors comprising one of a plurality of divisions of the vehicle body, the plurality of divisions formed in each of a longitudinal direction and a circumferential direction of the body of the vehicle, wherein the plurality of separate distinctive sections are coupled together to form the vehicle body without using a chassis to support the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction.   
     
     
       8. A body of a vehicle comprising: a plurality of separate distinctive sections, each separate distinctive section formed from a plurality of sectors to have a substantially tubular profile, the plurality of sectors circumferentially coupled together to have the substantially tubular profile; and   each one of the plurality of sectors comprising one of a plurality of divisions of the vehicle body, the plurality of divisions formed in each of a longitudinal direction and a circumferential direction of the body of the vehicle, each separate distinctive section having all of the sectors coupled so that longitudinal ends of each of the sectors are in alignment except that the longitudinal ends of at least one sector is longitudinally displaced and is not in alignment with the other sectors of said each separate distinctive section.   
     
     
       9. The assembly method of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of sectors consists of one of a floor sector, a side sector and a roof sector. 
     
     
       10. The assembling method of claim 4, wherein each one of the plurality of sectors consists of one of a floor sector, a side sector and a roof sector. 
     
     
       11. The body of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein each one of the plurality of sectors consists of one of a floor sector, a side sector and a roof sector.